The new Reebok ad campaign "looks like something out of
Cecil B. DeMille," according to Chris Reidy of the BOSTON
GLOBE. Partly filmed at an abandoned Soviet army base in
Prague, Reebok's "epic ads have an epic job to do." The new
ad opens with a marathon run by clones, before one
individual breaks lose from the pack "to reveal a free
spirit." The spot closes as "a Reebok-shod foot crushes a
mask" of one of the clones. The TV ads will break Monday,
May 25, during the NBA playoffs, and will later run in about
one-third of U.S. movie theaters (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/12).
GLOVES ARE OFF: Reidy reports that "at first glance,"
the message of the ad seems similar to Nike's "I can" theme,
but the imagery and mood are "very different." Throughout
the ads, the number 97005 constantly appears, and Reidy
notes that 97005 is the zip code for Beaverton, OR, where
Nike is based. Reebok Dir of Global Advertising John
Wardley: "We've really decided to take the gloves off with
this one." The tagline for the ads, from Berlin Cameron &
Partners, NY, is still being "tweaked," with one top
candidate being, "Creating possibilities. One athlete at a
time" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/12). USA TODAY's Melanie Wells calls
the ads reminiscent of the film "Invasion of the Body
Snatchers." Reebok VP/Marketing Brenda Goodell: "There are
moments you wait for and this was one of them; the market is
in disarray and there's a window of opportunity." Reebok is
"expected to spend about" $15M on "its first ad effort" from
Berlin Cameron & Partners (Melanie Wells, USA TODAY, 5/12).
